Telegraph-transmitter.



J. JONES. TELEGRAPH TRANSMITTER.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 29, 1911.

1,025,471 Patented May 7, 1912;

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JOSEPH R. JONES, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TELEGRAPH-TRANSMITTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 29, 1911.

Patented May *7, 1912.

Serial No. 630,135.

To all whom it may concern:

citizen of the United States, and a resident of Detroit, in the county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented a new anduseful TelegraplrTransmitter, of which the" following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for transmitting electric impulses in quick succession, and its object is to provide a transmitter for telegraphic messages which shall be simple in operation, and which shall always produce perfect bridging across the gaps of the circuit of the instrument at each vibration of any of the manually controlled parts.

This invention consists in combination with a case of a telegraph transmitter and the electric circuits, of a body of mercury forming one of the contacts, a vibratory member forming the other contact, and means to control the vibrations of such member and thereby the rapid impulses transmitted by the instrument.

It also consists in a non-vibratory member similarly mounted in connection with means to cause its contact with the mercury to cause the transmission of impulses of longer duration.

It further conslsts in the details of construction shown in the accompanying drawing and particularly set forth in the claims.

instrument.

respectively, in Fig. 1. Fig. vation of a switch.

Similar reference characters refer to likeparts throughout the several views.

The body 1 of the instrument may be formed of earthenware, glass, vulcanite, Bakelite or any other desirable non-conducting material, and is provided with a slidable cover 2 to give access to the interior. A metal plate 3 may be secured to the bottom so that the instrument may be attached anywhere desired. A groove 4 is formed in the inner side of the back 5 of the body, in which groove are mounted small metal bars 6 and 7. The bottom 8 slopes down to the right and at its right end is a well 9 for the mercury 10. A conductor wire 11 connects I to the bar 7 and dips into the mercury. A Be it known that I, Josnrrr R. JoNEs, a;

shelf 12 is formed at the left end of the body, onto which is secured a metal bar 13 by the screw 14. A conductor wire 15 connects the bar 6 to the bar 13.

Extending through the back 5 are two small metal sleeves 16 having reduced inner ends so as to hold the heads of the screws 17 which screws engage in threaded holes in the bars 6 and 7 and so hold the bars and sleeves in position. Collars 18 are formed on these sleeves and small plugs 19 on the ends of the line wires form the removable connections to the instrument. To close the key, the small lever 21 (Fig. 7 may be pivoted on the pin 22 on the back in such a manner that its metalfingers 23 engage the collars 18 when the lever is upright. The lever may swing either way to open the key as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 7 pins 24 limiting the desired movement. The body of the lever is preferably of some good insulating material.

Two narrow metal tongues 26 and 27 have their left ends secured beneath the bar 13.

These tongues may be of springsteel, spring-brass or any other desirable resilient material. Their free ends 26 and 27 are bent down and may be plated with a metal which will amal 'amate, such as silver or copper, or a small piece of silver, copper,

platinum or other desirable metal may be soldered to these ends. The tongue26 is the vibratorymember, and may have a weight 28 secured to its free end. Immediately beneath the vibratory member a lever 29 is mounted on the small shaft 30, extending through the front 33 of the case, on the outer end of which shaft is secured the finger'piece- 31. A small piece 32 of rubber on the free end of the lever 29 insulates the lever from the vibratory member. A second shaft 34 extends through the front 33 and has a finger piece 35 on its outer end and a lever 36 on its inner end. A small insulated arm 37 rests on the upper side of the second narrow tongue 27. Arms 38 and 39 on the finger pieces are connected by thespring 40, and the upper ends of the finger pieces are preferably of vulcanite, gutta percha or other insulating material. A stop 41 on the body limits the movements of the finger pieces and a pin 42 the outward movement of the member 35. The upward movement of the other finger piece under tension of the spring is limited by the weight 28 contacting with the cover 2 as shown in Fig. 4. If it is desired to increase the tension of this spring 40, it may be hooked over one or the other of the small pins 43.

The rate of vibration of the member 26 may be increased by shortening its operative length. The screw 45 is mounted in a bore and groove 46 in the back 5, being held in place by the small screw 47 which enters a groove 48 in the screw 45. A button 49 may be employed to turn the screw. A nut 50 on this screw is slidable in the groove 46 and has aws 51 between which the vibratory member 26 extends. By turning the screw the nut is moved along the vibratory mem ber, changing its vibratory length and inversely its rate of vibration.

The operation of this device is as follows: The spring 40 normally holds up the outer end of the lever 29 and of the vibratory member 26, and also holds the arm 37 on the lever 36 at its highest position. When the operator desires to send dots by means of this instrument, he presses the finger piece 31 to the right, usually with his thumb, thus swinging down the lever 29. This releases the vibratory member 26, which has been held above its normal position by this lever, and it immediately begins to vibrate, at each downward movement immersing its downturned free end 26 in the mercury 10, and immediately withdrawing it. The length of the electric impulse will be the period the end 26" is in contact wit-h the mercury. Then the movement of this member above the mercury is from one-eighth to onefourth of an inch, which is ample to break the circuit, the relays have time to respond distinctly so that the operator may clearly hear the clicks caused by the individual impulses. When a sufficient number of dots have been sent, the fingerpiece 31 is released, whereupon the spring 40 swings up the lever 29 and stops the vibration. To send an impulse of longer duration or a dash, the finger piece 35 is swung to the left, preferably by the forefinger, depressing the lever 36, arm 37 and the free end 27 of the member 27, which down-turned end 27' enters the mercury. It will be noticed that this member 27 is tensioned upward while the vibratory member 26 normally extends substantially parallel to the bottom side of the instrument. The result is that one swings up when released and that the other vibrates. If desired, the mercury may be provided with a thin layer of oil so as to pre vent arcing and oxidization. The screw 53 may be turned down into the mercury to raise its level to the exact height desired. If desired, sleeves 54 and 55 may be mounted in the front 33 to furnish bearings for the small shafts 30 and 34 respectively, and to prevent the mercury from escaping.

Having now explained my construction, what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a telegraph transmitter, the combination of a case of non-conducting material having a well at one end, mercury in said well, means to adjust the depth of the mercury, a vibrator comprising a metal tongue having one end mounted at one end of the case and a downwardly extending finger at the free end adapted to dip into the mar cury, a lever pivoted adjacent the fixed end of the vibrator with its free end in the path of the free end of the vibrator, a finger piece connected to said lever, means to control the effective length of the vibrator, a second tongue parallel to the first and ha ving a downturned portion which may be forced into said mercury, a finger piece engaged therewith, and electric circuits connecting to the fixed ends of the tongues and to the mercury.

2. In a telegraph transniitter, the combination of a case of non-conducting material having a well at one end, mercury in said well, means to adjust the depth of the mercury, a vibrator comprising a metal tongue having one end mounted at one end of the case and a downwardly extending finger at the free end adapted to dip into the mercur a lever pivoted adjacent the fixed end of the vibrator with its free end in the path of the free end of the vibrator, a finger piece connected to said lever, means to control the efiective length of the vibrator, a second tongue parallel to the first and having a downturned portion which may be forced into said mercury, a finger piece engaged therewith, electric circuits connecting to the fixed ends of the tongues and to the mer cury, and means to bridge the circuits to cut out the vibrators and mercury.

8. In a telegraph transmitter, the combination of a case having a mercury contact at one end and a retainer at the other, elec tric circuits connecting to said contact and retainer, a vibratory and a non-vibratory resilient tongue mounted within the case with one end secured by said retainer and their free ends turned down toward the mercury, the non-vibratory tongue tensioned away from the mercury and the vibratory tongue extending normally parallel to its surface, a lever and finger piece to depress the non-vibratory tongue to contact with the mercury, a second finger piece, a lever connected thereto and extending into the path of the vibratory tongue, and a spring to hold the vibratory tongue stationary.

4. In a telegraph transmitter, the co1nbination of a case, a mercury contact therein, a vibratory member adapted to swing into the mercury and close the circuit, means acting on said member to hold it from engaging the mercury, finger mechanism connected thereto, a shiftable device mounted in the case in engagement with the vibratory member to control the rate of vibrations of the same, a second member adapted to be swung into the mercury to close the circuit, and linger mechanism connected thereto.

5. In a telegraph transmitter, the combination of a case, a mercury contact therein, a vibratory member adapted to engage the mercury and close the circuit, an arm acting on said member to hold it from engaging the mercury, finger mechanism connected to said arm, and means mounted in the case to control the height of the mercury.

6. In a telegraph transmitter, the combination of a case having a sloping bottom and a well at the lower end thereof, mercury in said well, a retaining member at the other end of the case, bars mounted in a groove in the rear wall of the case, one of said bars connecting to the mercury and the other to the retaining member, means for connecting said bars to the line wires, a vibratory tongue mounted in said case with one end fixed by said retaining member, said tongue having a down-turned free end adapted to engage the mercury when the tongue vibrates, a lever within the case to normally prevent the tongue from vibrating, and a finger iece without the case and connected to said ever so as to release the vibratory member.

7. In a telegraph transmitter, the combination of a case having a sloping bottom, a mercury contact at the lower end of the same, vibratory and non-vibratory tongues In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

' JOSEPH R. JONES. Witnesses:

EDWARD N. PAGELSEN, ELIZABETH M. BROWN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

